To be completely repulsed by my colleague?!

[Unicornchaser]

So my colleague that is in the desk next to me always appears to be suffering some cough or cold. Now, I am not heartless enough to hate him for that. But he is apparently utterly incapable of covering his mouth when he coughs! And I say cough, it's more a 'hauking' up of flem, reminiscent of a cat with a fur ball.

He also does not cover his mouth when he yawns 40 times a day and his breath stinks so wafts.

Is it wrong I'm so repulsed by him?! 🤢

YANBU that's horrendous!

No. I would have to say something about the hocking up. It would turn my stomach.

I used to work with a constant sniffer. I had to ask if he would mind going to blow his nose.

Rancid.

Put some tissues on his desk - tell him you don’t want to catch his germs

🤢

I have a friend that does this, Unicornchaser. Coughing, yawning, sneezing, it doesn’t matter. Genuinely makes me feel sick thinking about it. I feel like I have to sterilise my kitchen as soon as he leaves. He also wipes his nose on the back of his fingerless gloves. 🤢😭

Buy him some milti vitamins and a box of tissues.

Just another example of manspreading. Yuk!

Yuk and double yuk. How do people reach adulthood without developing reasonable social mores? Those habitual noises are hideous, and bad hygiene - oral, bodily or clothing make for an unreasonable and very unpleasant environment.

Are other colleagues affected?

Ew! Stick signs around the office saying "coughs and sneezes spread diseases" and "please wash your hands" and the sign that says about catching coughs in a tissue then binning it. Buy boxes of chewing gum and regularly offer it round.
If he still doesn't get the hint, buy surgical face masks!

Gran22
Perhaps they are born into families like mine. Brother totally rebelled against my mother’s false Hyacinth Bucket ways. His basic lack of manners were not corrected from a young age. He wasn’t forced to shower and boasted of how he could go a couple of weeks without getting clean asking me to guess when he last changed his underpants or showered. Was known to force his smelly bits in my face.

This guy probably doesn’t brush his teeth often unless he has some kind of gum/tooth issue or smokes etc.

I have said on numerous occasions how disgusting it is or suggested he tries covering his mouth next time but he just pulls a face and shrugs it off, saying I should hear how bad his gf is. I don't care about her, she isn't offensive to me here!

I also have a bottle of sanitiser on my desk and make a show of using it regularly myself and often using an antibac wipe on my desk. Every time I clean my desk I offer him wipes too but apparently his immune system fights any germs on his desk!
He tells us about his flat which just sounds disgusting too! I know I'm a bit of a germaphobe but I don't get how someone can be so unhygienic!

I'm just counting down the days to my maternity leave - 115 working days 🎉

A woman at my place of work had a particularly bad cough one year and started hawking up her flem balls into a plastic cup on her desk. I cannot understand how anyone thinks that is even vaguely acceptable in the workplace - or anywhere else to be fair!

Unicornchaser you are not wrong to be repulsed at all. Is there any chance HR could have a gentle word with him?

MargoLovebutter
Ewww!

Some people are gross.

Tissues, cover your mouth and anti bac.

I get nasty chest infections when i do a normal cough (not gross hacking) but it's productive. The polite thing to do is accept you have phlegm, into a tissue quickly and quietly, tissue in bin and use hand sanitiser.
It's hardly rocket science.

Eww, gross. 😬
Is there anyone in management who could have a word in his ear ?

started hawking up her flem balls into a plastic cup on her desk

Arrruuughhhhhh runs away from Mumsnet boaking and screaming

You're pregnant too?? I would keep saying how you don't want to get sick as it might have an effect on the baby, and you won't be able to fight it off as easily because you're pregnant, and how you couldn't take any OTC meds because of the baby. Lay it on thick OP.

His cough might not be cold related, so it isn't necessarily that hes "sick".
There is such as thing as "too clean" and i say that as a severe germophobe with OCD. He actually does have a point about not wiping everything all the time as you do need some exposure to keep your immune system healthy. As long as you don;t have to touch his desk i'm not sure what that in particular is of any concern to you.
The bad breath and the noises of his phlegm youre not being unreasonable about, although not sure what realistically you can actually do. If he left his desk to go to the bathroom etc every time he had to cough he'd get nothing done. The bad breath could be down to anything from inadequate brushing/flossing, dental damage he can't afford to get treated, his diet, a digestive issue, or a side effect of a long term health condition. My dad is diabetic, and no matter how often and how thoroughly he brushes, flosses, uses mouthwash etc, his breath is always really bad, and its really embarrassing for him.

If you have a HR department or manager, ask them to have a word. Be prepared to feel bad if you embarrass him though if it is an issue beyond his control.

Eeeeuw this has put me off me Tunnocks!

It's phlegm balls btw

That is vile.

I also have a bottle of sanitiser on my desk and make a show of using it regularly myself and often using an antibac wipe on my desk. Every time I clean my desk I offer him wipes too

Whilst I think said colleague sounds gross, I would be a bit if a colleague did the above

get a can of dettol spray and spritz in his direction every time he coughs. You can definitely complain to HR about this, most employee handbooks state rules about personal hygiene, and openly coughing and smelling bad come under this

I realise you can be too 'clean' which I admitted I am a bit obsessive with but that's my thing.
I offer wipes to everyone as people are often asking if anyone has any to clean their desk every week or couple weeks etc so it's not just directly aimed at him.

I wouldn't expect him to leave his desk as someone suggested earlier, just to cover his mouth and be considerate about others around him.
It's a small team so to mention something to hr would be obvious it was me as I have asked him before to cover his mouth etc.

I just think everyone should have a level of decency and hygiene and that not covering your mouth when you yawn, cough or sneeze is just bad manners and spreads germs! It's a basic thing kids get taught so why as an adult would you think it's not necessary!

And the spit cup (sorry forgot which PP mentioned this) is horrific!! Makes my situation pale in comparison, not sure how you could stand that!!

Get him some of these and this?

Or put an aromatherapy diffuser in the room, something like Eucalyptus and Tea Tree perhaps, to make the air smell better and maybe even get rid of his cough?

But this really shouldn't have to be up to you, so do tell HR/management it's affecting you and ask if you can move desks.

YANBU to be repulsed. It sounds stomach churning.
However please just wash your hands instead of using sanitiser lots and don't wash your desk with anti bac wipes frequently.
Ingredients in anti-bac products have been linked with allergies and antibiotic resistance